Torn

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
DNF @ 24%

I was so excited for this one. Magic, political intrigue, rebellion/revolution... I was so ready, but this book just didn't hit me right.

It was a bit slow for my preferences. I tend to like a faster pace, so this is something some people won't mind. Definitely a slow build. By 24% the potential romance is hinted at (this is kinda liked–it isn't over the top, subtle), but the bad guy isn't even in the picture. Sure, there is conflict: potential revolution on the horizon and the MC doesn't want anything to do with it, since she will probably lose her job, but we still have no idea what the book is truly moving towards.
At this point, I looked at other reviews – many super positive, but I learned more about the villain and I wasn't impressed, I'm assuming things do not pick up, so no thanks.

The magic is somewhat interesting. The main character doesn't know much about it, no one is formally taught it, so we the readers do not know much about it either. Learning about the magic would be interesting, I'm sure, but at this point I'm not even sure if it would be a major part of the story, which is a bummer.

I also wasn't able to connect to the characters, the biggest killer for me. I can't explain why I wasn't interested in them :/ I'm assuming others will be able to and it seems to be written well, so I'm sure this is a book many will enjoy.

I want preface this review by saying I really wanted to like this book. It had an interesting concept and an imperfect protagonist. I also appreciated that the focus was on sewing and the character was allowed succeed without becoming Buffy. Also the cover art is swoon.
Unfortunately, this book had a lot of problems. I'm hoping the sequels solve at least some of them. These problems include:
* Not thinking through the politics enough. If you are going to make politics a central theme they need to be fleshed out and believable in terms of human nature.
* Certain aspects of romance felt like they went to0 fast and the protag caught damsel syndrome when I wanted her to be awesome instead. She flip flops on things that are supposedly significant to her.
* The magic system was okay but as one reviewer mentioned, one particular person gaining powers was just...annoying.

Pros: complex protagonist, slow moving romance, political commentary

Cons:

Sophie Balstrade's unique skill of sewing charms into garments has given her shop steady business, but she's hoping to catch the eye of noble ladies. She's overjoyed to receive a commission from Viola Snowmont as well as an invitation to the lady's salon, both of which propel her into a higher class of clientele and a potential love affair. But her brother's a leader in the Laborer's League, and as tensions build among the disaffected lower classes, she finds herself torn between his goals and her own. When he disappears, she's blackmailed into helping the League by doing something against her moral code - sew a cursed object.

I really enjoyed this book. While I wouldn't say it's cribbed from the French Revolution, the salons, the court fashions, the presence of guns and the social tensions did remind me of that period of history.

I loved Sophie, especially the fact that she actually works at her shop and when she takes time off she either has to make up the work later or rearrange the schedule so everything is done on time. I appreciated that she had goals and that she'd considered the consequences of marriage (her husband and his family would gain control of her shop) and decided it wasn't for her.

The romance thread was slow paced, which I appreciated. The couple actually talked about the realities of their situation and acknowledged that due to their stations things could only go so far.


The magic - attaching charms via thread into garments - was very original. Sophie has to learn how to do curses and there's a physical cost to her for doing them.

There was just enough of the politics to keep things interesting without slowing the pacing. Through Sophie we see that the nobility have duties to perform and that their lives aren't all given to leisure, while the workers have legitimate grievances.

This is a fun read and I'm looking forward to the sequel.